“There Be Dragons” is what ancient map makers wrote in spaces for which they had no data. They clearly didn’t know the islands of Rinca and Komodo. Here, and only here, live the Komodo dragons. They are big (2m+) scaly lizards with massive legs and claws. What they bite won’t get up much anymore. They move slowly but if convenient they will outrun a human. We went there on a little tour boat and had long guided hikes on both islands, plus generous time for snorkeling on the nearby reefs. One night we slept on the boat. Our guides carried long forked staffs to discourage the dragons from spicing up their diet with tourists, and had to use them to shoo dragons off our path. I want a dragon to myself to walk about Berlin, on a leash, with the claws making loud clicking noises on the pavement. Very spotty Internet access here…
